As I have already said, she was very beautiful at that time, and
Carey fell in love with her at the first moment of their meeting.
During the next three weeks he went to town nine times and called
at the Dumonts' only once. There were no more rides and walks
with Tannis. This was not intentional neglect on his part. He
had simply forgotten all about her. The breeds surmised a
lover's quarrel, but Tannis understood. There was another woman
back there in town.
It would be quite impossible to put on paper any adequate idea of
her emotions at this stage. One night, she followed Carey when
he went to Prince Albert, riding out of earshot, behind him on
her plains pony, but keeping him in sight. Lazarre, in a fit of
jealousy, had followed Tannis, spying on her until she started
back to the Flats. After that he watched both Carey and Tannis
incessantly, and months later had told Tom all he had learned
through his low sneaking.
Tannis trailed Carey to the Blair house, on the bluffs above the
town, and saw him tie his horse at the gate and enter. She, too,
tied her pony to a poplar, lower down, and then crept stealthily
through the willows at the side of the house until she was close
to the windows. Through one of them she could see Carey and
Elinor. The half-breed girl crouched down in the shadow and
glared at her rival. She saw the pretty, fair-tinted face, the
fluffy coronal of golden hair, the blue, laughing eyes of the
woman whom Jerome Carey loved, and she realized very plainly that
there was nothing left to hope for.
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